Gray BMW, downtown, windows down, The Ghost Inside up.
Dan is taking Josh to the pet store. He'd made a shopping list earlier and given it to Josh to keep track of. Dan had explained that he already had a few of the things they needed, but some they'd have to fit to Josh's body, or Dan just wanted Josh to have his own.
The list reads as so, in Dan's choppy all-capitals handwriting:
COLLAR
NAME TAG
LEASH
DOG BED
[something scribbled out]
TOYS
Dan parks the car and walks him up to the store. Josh peers around. Long rows of pet supplies with a wall of fish tanks, a grooming shop up front on the other side of the checkout stands, and Dan's hand on the base of his spine nudging him forward. Right.
Dan walks a few steps ahead of Josh, mostly because Josh is looking around. He bumps into Dan and Dan smiles, looking back over at him.
“C'mere Josh,” he says softly, and Josh can't help smiling. He steps over and Dan pulls a leather collar around his neck, checking the fit. Too small. He tries another larger size, and that fits nicely, so he drops it in the bag.
“My own collar,” Josh says, smiling.
“Well I didn't think giving you one of the ones I've already got would be appropriate,” Dan says fondly. He walks down the aisle to the selection of leashes. “I want you to have your own everything.”
Josh smiles, staying close behind him. Dan chooses a leather leash to match the collar and a silver bone-shaped name tag that they'd get engraved up front.
Dan actually holds Josh's hand in the back of the store where they go to find dog beds. There are huge stacks of them, some plain and some embroidered and others all plush and fluffy and Josh sighs.
“Pick one for yourself,” Dan says, giving Josh a pat on the bum. “As long as it's gray to match the apartment. Pick a comfortable one.”
Josh starts digging into the piles of dog beds, pulling out the gray ones. He lays down on each one, crawling around on them. Dan just covers his mouth and smiles behind his hand. Josh is already catching onto his little puppy mannerisms. This isn't a mind control thing; it isn't a 24/7 relationship thing. It's just Josh taking the nickname and the role play outside the bedroom. Well, BDSM room.
Eventually Josh finds himself lingering in one bed.
“I want this one,” he decides.
“Perfect,” Dan says. It'll go well with the furniture in the living room, he thinks, smiling to himself or Josh.
They go about putting all the other beds back and Josh carries the bed and Dan takes him to the selection of dog toys. Josh's eyes scan over the racks of plush toys, squeaky toys. He sighs.
